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Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best".

Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.

Maresca stated the young striker will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the new recruit's availability is vital for a team facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite interest from the Red Devils, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three setups in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".

When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Certainly the conditioning element is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea face broader problems in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until the winter.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and a single assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last campaign, is still to score this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but before that scored only once in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.

Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this campaign.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea fans think the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since recently, and footballers who sported it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches

A midfielder and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.

But Delap was unmoved when asked about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.

"At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."